Norm Macdonald is a cult hero. Most die-hard fans know the oddball Canadian as the Weekend Update anchor who ruthlessly skewered everyone from Hillary Clinton to O.J. Simpson. Alas, much of Macdonald’s post-Saturday Night Live career saw aborted TV series or roles in toothless Hollywood comedies—ironic considering the dry-as-a-bone Macdonald can draw blood when he wants. A master of the pregnant pause and possessing the power to wring laughs from the minutest observations, see why the club circuit may be the best forum for his talents. He performs two sets per night, March 13–14. Continue reading »

The mysterious, balaclava-sporting Malaa brings his ambiguous identity and hard-hitting ghetto house tunes to Sunnyvale. The producer and DJ has managed to keep his given name under wraps for five years, even as his stature has grown. Some suspect Malaa is the singular name of multiple big-name selectors, including DJ Snake, Tchami and Mercer. One thing is for sure, Malaa’s tunes are heavy. Spinning classic Dirty South textures such as Lil Wayne and Juvenile’s “Bling Bling” together with spartan four-on-the-floor beats that are as infectious as they are dirty, whoever Malaa is, he—or they—know how to rock a dance floor. Continue reading »

Dreamers’ Circus is a trio out of Copenhagen, Denmark that fuses classical music and Nordic folk (with jazz influences as well), a formula that has made them one of the most big-ticket acts in their home country. Using the basic ingredients of piano/accordion, violin and cistern (a string instrument similar to a lute), the three young men emerged a decade ago to perform around the world, occasionally in collaboration with symphony orchestras. They’ve also played alongside many of the most luminous names in contemporary Celtic folk. They come to Stanford’s Bing Studio unaccompanied, just the three of them, as a showcase for their hybrid style. Continue reading »

If you want to preview the shockingly honest, seriously self-deprecating humor that comedian Jenny Zigrino brings to the stage, look no further than her Twitter feed. There, you’ll find her dishing the latest updates about her Tinder flames (or lack thereof), political observations (could Voldemort actually be a viable presidential candidate?) and day-to-day musings about knee sweat, Doritos and her dog. Zigrino’s been doing stand-up since she was 15 and has performed on Conan and appeared on the big screen in Bad Santa 2. Zigrino performs at Rooster’s through Sunday. Continue reading »

When Christopher Boone discovers his neighbor’s dog dead with a garden fork sticking out of its body, he unwittingly becomes the prime suspect in an act of animal cruelty he did not commit. A mathematically gifted 15-year-old, Boone is at once highly intelligent and unable to interpret everyday life. On his journey to find the killer’s true identity, he comes to an earth-shattering discovery that changes the course of his life forever in the Tony Award-winning play The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Runs through April 5. Continue reading »

Jerrie has had enough of the sexist trolls and gatekeepers who have worked to thwart her success in the gaming industry. Now, she’s leading a talented team to take back her rightful place as a leader in the realm of virtual reality. But as the virtual world once again invades the meatspace, things get more surreal than she could have ever anticipated. Written and directed by Kirsten Brandt, assistant professor of musical theater at SJSU, co-writer of Snow Queen and director of City Lights’ 2017 production Stupid F**king Bird. Runs through April 11. Continue reading »

The San Jose-by-Oakland duo of Edgewize and DJ Platurn mark the release of their debut EP, Apatheater, with a performance at Cafe Stritch’s weekly Wax Wednesday party. Layering dusty, deep-crate grooves with dense-yet-punchy lyrics, these two Bay Area hip-hop heads warrant the comparisons to Aesop Rock, Atmosphere and MF Doom. Taking on Silicon Valley’s complicity in our country’s yawning wealth gap can feel a bit heavy-handed when presented in song form, but on tracks like “Yada Yada” and “Goaltending,” Edgewize unearths metaphors as potent as they are effortless, while Platurn’s jazzy production maintain an infectious momentum. Continue reading »

What do you get when you combine offbeat tap dancing, exaggerated Broadway arm gestures and over-the-top facial expressions and mix it in a 30-something-year-old at a bar with an open microphone? That’s right! A karaoke hog that over-performs the shit out of songs the rest of the bar could care less about. At some point, you have to let go of your dream of being a star. The harsh truth is that you’re a nine-to-fiver now, in a room full of other nine-to-fivers, and the group of friends you brought with you (clearly it was your idea to karaoke) is formulating any half-assed excuse to get the hell out of here without hurting your feelings. So instead of making this Saturday night about how you should’ve gotten the lead in your community college’s rendition of Les Mis, how about we sing off-key in solidarity? Let’s just drink to how we all were supposed to be something else and pick a number the rest of us can sing along with like Billy Joel’s “Piano Man” so maybe we can forget about life for a while?

I Saw You is an anonymous “man on the street” column. Email your rants and raves about co-workers or any badly behaving citizens to [email protected], or send to 380 S. First St, San Jose, 95113. Submissions should stick to about 100 words.

We go way back. I was a bridesmaid at your wedding. I hosted your divorce party. We’ve told each other our deepest, darkest secrets. But when you introduced me to the new guy you’re seeing … that was the first time I stopped myself short of candor. I slept with that guy! It was a year-and-a-half ago, and he had no idea that he’d end up falling for one of my besties—but still! Now, I’m agonizing over what to say. He and I both made eye contact—it was a knowing look—and I could tell that we both panicked. Should I reach out to him to forge some kind of verbal NDA? Should I tell you and risk ruining this chemistry you have going with him? I’m paralyzed with uncertainty.

I Saw You is an anonymous “man on the street” column. Email your rants and raves about co-workers or any badly behaving citizens to [email protected], or send to 380 S. First St, San Jose, 95113. Submissions should stick to about 100 words.

In the early 1970s, British rock band Wishbone Ash helped usher in the era of twin-lead-guitar groups, a powerful and effective approach that influenced many of rock’s most beloved bands—from Thin Lizzy to Boston to Iron Maiden and beyond. Continue reading »